ADT Smart Home Security System review: Smart home security

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. You can install this home security/smart home system yourself, but professional monitoring is mandatory (and that's A-OK with me). There is no support for Amazon's Alexa ADT Base doesn't include a display The ADT Smart Home Security System emphasizes security over convenience, but there are enough smart home elements for us to recommend it, whether you set it up on your own or pay for ADT's white-glove installation. Keep a close eye on the services you sign up for, as they're not all mandatory. ADT is one of the oldest home security companies in the U.S., and the ADT Smart Home Security product reviewed here is its latest offering that melds home security with a robust smart home system. As with every ADT product, you must commit to paying for professional monitoring of this system, where the staff at a central office keeps track of emergency events and will offer to dispatch police, fire, and medical personnel as needed. But unlike many of ADT's other products, you can either have ADT's technicians install the system in your home or you can do it yourself. This is a security-first system, but smart home features don't completely take a back seat. ADT sells smart light bulbs and smart plugs as well as Nest smart thermostats (more on that in a bit), and there's a Z-Wave radio in the ADT Base that forms the heart of the system, so you can add smart home components--including third-party products--on your own.